Scottish councillor demands government inquiry into UFO’s

Billy Buchanan – who represents Bonnybridge and Larbert on Falkirk council – and paranormal researcher Malcolm Robinson have travelled down to 10 Downing Street with a simple message: “The Pentagon in America has finally and openly declared to the American public that yes, UFOs are ‘real’.

“It is now time for the British Government to do the same.”

The Pentagon released its much-awaited unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) report in June 2021. It found that of 144 observations of UAPs by the US Armed Forces, 143 were unexplained and 18 exhibited "unusual flight characteristics".

The report made no mention of any extraterrestrial activity, and concluded that the lack of “high-quality reporting” on the events “hampers our ability to draw firm conclusions”.

READ MORE: UFO hearing: Scottish enthusiasts weigh in on the debate

US lawmakers also heard first-hand accounts of UFO sightings from former members of the military in July.

Retired Major David Grusch told Congress the US is concealing a long-standing programme that retrieves and reverse-engineers UFOs and that the US likely has been aware of “non-human” activity since the 1930s.

The Pentagon denied claims of a cover-up.

“I have been a UFO and paranormal researcher for more than 40 years, and in this time, I have collected a vast amount of data which has shown me that the subject of UFOs is most certainly real,” Robinson told The Sunday National.

He added: “I accept that the vast majority of UFO reports can easily be identified as having natural explanations, but not them all!

“Billy and I are demanding that the British Government open up its own files from both the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the armed forces. The UFO situation is not just an American phenomenon, it is a global one.”

Scotland’s very own UFO hotspot

ROSWELL, New Mexico, is probably the first location that springs to mind when you think about UFO hotspots – not Bonnybridge. But the small village four miles west of Falkirk is now known as the UFO capital of the UK, if not the world. 

One of the most well-known sightings in the village occurred in 1992. Local businessman James Walker – no relation – stopped his car on a country road after reportedly spotting a shining star-shaped object blocking his way, which then took off at great speed.

This sparked a media frenzy, with Bonnybridge quickly becoming a well-known UFO hotspot as TV crews from throughout the world filmed documentaries probing the increasing amount of sightings in the once-sleepy town.

Village residents and visiting UFO enthusiasts have since reported nearly 300 sightings every year over the past three decades.

Buchanan was first elected as councillor for the area in 1992. He told The Sunday National that he was overwhelmed by the number of locals suddenly coming to him to tell of strange sightings and lights in the sky above Bonnybridge.

Buchanan wrote to the Ministry of Defence asking for an investigation but was rebuffed. He also approached his local MP, who told him: “Look, you’re a lunatic for getting involved with this. It will ruin you, I’m telling you to walk away from this.”

But Buchanan wasn’t deterred. He said: “I’m elected to represent the people. I have hundreds of people coming to me and seeing these strange lights in the sky so I’m trying to ascertain exactly what it is.

“But I had nae a clue. I’m not a ufologist, I’m just a wee councillor for an area of about 6000 people.”

'We're ready for the truth'

BUCHANAN enlisted the help of ufologist Robinson. The pair have since appealed to every Prime Minister calling for an urgent probe, except Liz Truss who “wasn’t there long enough”.

The councillor claims to have been witness to several sightings himself since – including a “gigantic flying” object over Grangemouth oil refinery.

And it hasn’t always been easy: “I went through all the trauma, standing for election and being ridiculed. I’ve been a councillor for nearly 31 years and I’ve never, never stopped in my quest to get an answer.”

He added: “We’re ready for the truth."

Robinson says they’re not naive, and realise that the majority of sightings will be easily explainable.

He added: “But there is a lot that can't be. In 2023, I'm convinced of the reality that mankind is dealing with some form of non-human intelligence.

“We demand transparency, and we hope that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has the guts to implement a full government inquiry into the UFO situation in Great Britain, for not to do so would not be in keeping with his election promise to serve the people of this country with openness and clarity.”

There are few indications that the UK Government will release any new files or information. In June 2021, following the publishing of the Pentagon UAP report, a defence minister – Baroness Goldie – was asked to reassure the public that the MoD was taking the issue seriously.

She responded: “The MoD deals with actual threats substantiated by evidence. The Government continues to take any potential threat to the UK seriously."

The Ministry of Defence has been contacted for comment.